10 Best Restaurants in Yorkshire, England

This unpretentious family-run restaurant prides itself on not being trendy but nevertheless is regularly acclaimed as one of the best restaurants in Britain, let alone Yorkshire. With a constantly changing menu, it specializes in elevated versions of Italian classics such as veal scallopini in a marsala cream sauce as well as seafood specials using catches fresh off the boats in the harbor. Opt for seasonal specials incorporating white truffles or game (October through February) or locally sourced vegetables. With only 30 seats, it books up quickly.

Seafood is the draw here, and the long menu includes freshly caught Whitby crab, salmon, haddock, halibut, cod, and lobster—plus Lindisfarne oysters—but the crowds come for the outstanding traditional fish-and-chips. The food is good, and fans say it's worth the wait, which can stretch to an hour on busy nights. A good value set menu offers lots of choices. 

Betty's has been a York institution since 1936. The decor—inspired by the art deco ocean liner the Queen Mary—the dessert trollies, and the solicitous white-aproned staff all contribute to an impression of stepping back in time to a more genteel era. An excellent afternoon tea is served in the café downstairs; breakfast and light lunches are served in the Oak Room upstairs, where you can see the mirror inscribed by the RAF air aces who dined here during WWII. An in-house store sells a range of specialty coffees and teas, plus pastries and old-fashioned sweets like rose and violet creams.

Modern and buzzy, with friendly service and tasty food, this brasserie in a converted grain warehouse has two dining rooms, one with wood tables and terra-cotta walls, the other more formal, with white tablecloths. The seasonally changing menu includes elegant main courses like portobello mushroom stuffed with goat cheese and nuts on a butternut squash and wild mushroom risotto. Arched windows overlook the river in both dining areas, and in summer there's a deck for alfresco dining. There's also a special gluten-free menu.

The Harvey Nichols department store's roaring success is partly due to the lure of this stylish café, a standout for food, city views, and dramatic, high-tech design. The well-crafted Modern British menu changes bimonthly, but is sure to have imaginative dishes like pan-fried turbot with a roasted pepper purée, herb gnocchi, and samphire, or honey and rosemary glazed duck breast with duck leg and potato terrine, carrot and star anise purée, and confit fennel. There's also a separate plant-based menu. Irresistible desserts include Maple syrup cheesecake with blueberry compote. It's not cheap, but a three-course set menu plus a Champagne cocktail for £25 offers better value.

This handsome pub combines a cozy traditional wood-paneled bar with a restaurant in a contemporary glass-and-steel extension that specializes in traditional Yorkshire cooking. Using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, options might include a beetroot and vegan black pudding Wellington; fish pie with locally caught salmon, cod, and monkfish; or slow-cooked pork belly with curried sweet potato. There's also a good-value two-course lunchtime and early bird set menu (£19.50).

This cozy independent restaurant receives rave reviews for its hearty Eastern European fare. You'll find primarily Polish dishes, including favorites like pierogi, bigos (a hunter's stew made with cabbage, wild mushroom, and sausage), pancetta-wrapped rabbit leg, and schnitzel, as well as vegetarian options. It's popular, so it can get noisy and reservations are suggested.

With its oak-paneled, candlelit dining room and open fires, this traditional inn is an inviting rural dining spot. Old favorites with locally sourced ingredients such as sausage and mash, crispy pork belly, and traditional Sunday roasts are served with fresh vegetables from the kitchen garden (gluten-free options like a mushroom and Mediterranean vegetables Wellington add a contemporary note). There are also eight comfortable rooms that continue the traditional theme (£125 per night). The inn is 10 miles north of Skipton in the town of Grassington.

Everyone visiting Scarborough has to have fish-and-chips at least once, and this harbor-front spot is a classic of its kind. Choose an upstairs window table for the view, and tuck into freshly fried, lightly battered, locally caught cod or haddock. Fresh fish pie, mussels, crab, and lobster plus burgers, sausages, and seasonal game casserole, all locally sourced, are also available.

This family-friendly Yorkshire take on an American steak house is bright and modern, with an emphasis on locally sourced food, particularly slow-roasted rotisserie meats and traditional steaks. Specialties include beer-braised brisket, baby back barbecue ribs, grilled steak from local herds, and, of course, burgers. Fish eaters and even vegetarians are catered for with dishes like seafood linguine or a superfood salad.